Lifting truck



1933- w. STUEBING, JR

LIFTING TRUCK Filed Nov. 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W 5 myamoxy I j A; ATTORNEY? Oct. 17, 1933. w. STUEBING, JR

LIFTING TRUCK Filed Nov. 8, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m N i F11- Q NM Q m 5 mm Q A N\ 26 5 vENTo3 BY l Oct. 17, 1933. w. STUEBING, JR 7 1,931,449

LIFTING TRUCK Filed Nov. 8. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 J INVENTOR BY 6/6444) dmz; 3 ATTORNEY s Patented Oct. 17, '1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

LXFTING TRUCK William Stuebing, Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio, assigncr to The Yale & 'I'owne Manufacturing Company, Stamford, Comm, a corporation of Connecticut 7 Application November 8, 1929. Serial No. 405,530

2.: Claims. (01. 25440) The present invention relates to an improvement in lifting trucks. One object thereof has been to provide mechanism whereby during lifting operation, the lifting effect is more uniformly and advantageously distributed over the entire swinging movement of the steering and lifting handle from vertical to horizontal position. The desired result is achieved in part by providing more than one point of pivotal connection between such steering and lifting handle and the elevating frame to be lifted. According to the present invention, the angular relation between the handle and the connecting member varies during the initial lifting movement of the handle, for example, during approximately the first 45 degr es of movement thereof. Thereafter, said angular relation becomes fixed and the point. of pivotal attachment of the connecting member to the handle is changed to produce a more effective transmission of the lifting effort.

A further object of my invention has been to provide a lifting truck in which the extreme upper and lower positions of the handle are defined by suitable stops. Thus, where the extreme upper position is definitely fixed, the moving-parts will always come into the same relative operative positions, thus expediting connection of the elevating frame with the handle and permitting more certain and reliable engagement of the parts. Where the lowermost position of the handle is defined by a stop, the free end of the handle is prevented from banging against the floor and is held in more convenient position to be manipulated by the operator.

Further advantages and beneficial results in operation will be apparent from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of my invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of so much of a lifting truck construction as is necessary to illustrate my invention;

Figure 2, a side elevation thereof partly in sectionon the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3, a side elevation showing the parts in the relative positions which they occupy when the lifting and steering handle is in upright position; and

Figure 4, aside elevation showing the relative positions of the parts when the handle is in its lowermost position.

Referring to'the drawings, the embodiment of my invention therein shown. includes a main frame 1, an elevating frame 2, links 3 pivoted to the main frame at 4 and to the elevating frame at 5, and suitable steering, lifting and connecting mechanism. A steering wheel 6 is mounted in a steering head 7 carried by a part of a transverse beam 8, said steering head being provided with handle supporting lugs 9. A lifting and steering handle 10 is pivotally mounted on said lugs at 11, the lower "end of said handle being provided with a stop 12 and a stop 13. A detent 14 mounted on the lugs 9 is interposed in the path of stop 13 to limit the extreme downward movement of handle 10. r

A link 15 pivotally secured to the handle 10 at 16 is provided with an upper stopsurface 1'7 and a lower stop surface 18 adapted, when the lifting handleis in the position shown in Figure 3, to engage and rest upon an upwardly exposed supporting surface 19 of the steering head 7. In this position of the parts, the stop surface 12 of the handle 10 will abut the upper stop surface 17 of the link 15, so that the weight of the position illustrated in Figure 2 and Figure 4,

to be engaged by a transversely extending surface 21 forming part of the handle 10. V

Connection may be established between the link 15 and the elevating frame 2 by any suitable means. In the form of lifting truck shown in the drawings, the elevating frame 2 is provided with an upright member 22 presenting a depending flange 23 of arcuate contour. This flange is adapted to be engaged by the hook portion 25. of a link 24 which is pivoted on the shaft 26 carried by the link 15. vWhen link 15 is in its stationary and relatively fixed position of Fig. 3, the hook portion 25 of .link- 24 may easily be moved into engagement with the flange 23 by foot pressure applied to a pedal 27 integral with the link.

In operation, assuming the parts to be in the relative positions shown in Figure 3, the hook 25 is brought into engagement with the depending flange 23 as above stated'and the handle 10 is swung downwardly by the operator. During the initial portion of said downward swing, the links. 15 and 24 vary their angular relation to handle 10 by rotation on pivot 16 as the line of draft between the pivotalconnection 16 and the hook engaged portion of flange 23 changes with the 1 indicated in Figure 2. At this point, the transverse bearing surface 21 of the handle 10 comes into engagement with the transverse bearing surface 20 of the link 15 whereupon said link assumes a fixed angular position with respect to handle 10 and the pivotal connection between said handle and the flange 23 now shifts to'the point'26. Theeffect of this shift is to increase the length of the shorter arm of the lever formed by handle 10, thusincreasing the effectiveness of the latter portion of its lifting movement.

' Just before handle 10 reaches its lowermost position, as shown in Figure 4, the elevating frame 2 will have reached its elevated position where it is releasably retained by suitable latching means of the type well known in this art, and a particular form of which I describe in my Patent lflddl The particular form of latch means shown herein includes a laterally extending lug 28 mounted on frame 2 and positioned and adapt ed to be engaged by a latch 29 pivotally mounted on the transverse beam 3 of the main frame. A

pedal extension 30 is formed at the outer end of latch 29 to permit said latch to be readily released from effective frame retaining position by footpressure of the operator. The parts are preferably so related that as soon as the latch 29 engages lug 28, handle 10 will reach its lowermost position against stop 14 whereupon, by a slight upward movement'of said handle the link 24 is disengaged from flange 23, thus freeing the steering and lifting handle from engagement with the load and permittingit to be freely manipulated for such purposes as may then be desired.

It will be noted that when the parts are in the relative positions indicated in Figure 3, the link 15 is securely held in position between the stop 12 and the supporting surface 19 so that, when the operator depresses pedal 27, the hook 25 will always travel through the same are and engage the flange 23 in the intended manner. Ina measure, this expedient helps to avoid the dangers and disadvantages incident to what is known as the whipping handle, a phenomenon resulting from the failure of the connection between the handle 'andthe elevating frame during lifting movement of the handle. Similarly, to a certain extent the stop provided by the members 13 and 14 helps to avoid dangers and disadvantages due to the flying'handle which takes place when the loaded elevating frame rides backward or downward unexpectedly and while the operator is not controlling the free end of the handle. An advantage of the stop in operation is that, as soon as the handle 10 reaches its lowermost position, indicated by the engagement of stops 13 and 14, the operator knows that the latch 29 will have engaged the extension lug 23 and that the loaded elevating frame is then looked in raised position until the latch is released.

I claim as my invention:

1. A liftingtruck comprising in combination a main frame, a steering and lifting handle pivotally mounted thereon, an elevating frame, means for connecting said handle and the elevating frame comprising a link having one part thereof pivoted to the steering handle, and means for holding said part in fixed position relative to said handle when the latter is in upright position, another part of said connecting means being pivoted to said first-mentioned part and adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the elevating frame.

2. A lifting truck comprising in combination a main frame, a steering and lifting handle pivotally mounted thereon, an elevating frame,

of the lifting operation of said handle, and means to prevent movement of said link relatively to the handle during the latter part of the lifting operation thereof.

3. A lifting truck comprising in combination a main frame, a steering and lifting handle pivotally mounted thereon, an elevating frame, means for connecting said handle and the elevating frame comprising a link pivoted to the handle means whereby when the handle is in upright position said link will be held in fixed position to facilitate making the connection between the handle and the'elevating frame, and means whereby when the handle is actuatedto lift the elevating frame, the link will first move pivotally and then be held in fixed relation to the handle to provide in effect two points of connection therewith.

A lifting truck comprising in combination a main frame, a steering and lifting handle pivotally mounted thei eon, an elevating frame, means for connecting said handle and the elevating frame comprising a tension link pivoted to the handle, and a hook member pivoted to said link and provided with a foot treadle by which handle and link are connected into lifting relation to the elevating frame, and means operative when the handle is in vertical position to hold said linkin position to permit connection of said hook member with said elevating frame, said link being mounted to move pivotally relative to the handle during the first part of the lifting movement thereof, and means adapted to hold said link against such pivotal movement during vided with a foot treadle which the handle and link are movable into lifting relation to the elevating frame, and means operative when the handle is in verticalposition to hold said link in position to permit connection of said hook memher with said elevating framesaid link being free to swing downwardly relative to the handle during the first part of the lifting movement thereof to accommodate itself to the change in direction of the line draft of the connecting means.

6. Alifting truck comprising in combination a a main frame, a steering and lifting handle. pivotally mounted thereon, an elevating frame, means for connecting said handle and the elevating frame comprising a two part link, one part having means of connection with the steering handle to permit pivotal movement relative thereto during-the first part of the liftingoperation and combined movement therewith during the latter part of the lifting operation whereby the effective point of connection between the handle.

main frame, a steering and lifting handle pivotally mounted thereon, an elevating frame, means for connecting said handle and the elevating frame comprising a link connected to the handle for pivotal movement relative thereto means limiting this movement to a part only of the lifting operation and a hook member pivoted to said link, and pedal-operatedmeans for connecting hook to the elevating frame when the elevating frame is in lowered po ition.

8. A lifting truck comprising in combination a main frame, a steering and lifting handle piv otally mounted thereon, an elevating frame, means for connecting said handle and the elevating frame comprising a link, means whereby said link is connected to the handle for limited pivotal movement relative thereto, a hook m'ember pivoted to said and pedal operated means for connecting said hook member to the elevating frame.

9. A lifting truck. comprising in combination a main frame, a steering and lifting handle pivotally mounted thereon, an elevating frame, means i for connecting said handle and the elevating frame comprising a link connected to the'handle' for pivotal movement relative thereto, means effective to limit said pivotal movement to apart only of the lifting operation, a stop arranged to engage said link when the handle is iii-upright position to hold said link in the line of draft of said connecting means and a hook member pivoted to said link and having a projecting pedal by which it can be moved into engagement with the elevating frame.

10. A lifting truck comprising in combination a main frame, a steering and lifting handle pivotally mounted thereon, an elevating frame, means for connecting said handle and the elevating frame comprising a link connected to the handle for pivotal movement relative thereto, means effective to limit said pivotal movement to a part.

only of the lifting operation, a stop arranged to engage said link when the handle is in upright position to hold said link in the line of draft of said connecting means and a hook member pivoted to said link and arranged to be moved into engagement with the elevating frame when 1;

the said link engages said stop.

11. A lifting truck comprising in combination a main frame, a steering and lifting handle pivot- 1 ally mounted thereon, an elevating frame, means for connecting said handle and the elevating frame comprising a linlnmeans whereby said link is connected to the handle for limited pivotal movement relative thereto during the first part of the lifting operation to accommodate itself to the line of draft, and means for connecting said link into fixed angular relation with the handle during the latter part of the lifting operation to form in effect a part of the handle providing a second point of connection between the connecting means and the handle.

12. In a lifting truck, the combination of an elevating frame, a steering and lifting handle, and a connector pivoted to said handle and positioned to operatively engage said frame and forming in effect a rearward extension of said handle, means whereby said connector is adapted for pivotal movement in the same vertical plane with the handle in different steering positions thereof and adapted during frame lifting movement of the handle to move endwise and initially in varying angular relation to the longitudinal axis of the handle, and means thereafter effective to move said connector in fixed angular relation with said handle. i

13. Ina lifting truck, the combination of an elevating frame, a steering and lifting handle, and a connector between said frame and said? handle having one end pivoted to said handle and the other end extending rearwardiy to operatively engage said frame in all steering positions of the handle whereby during frame lifting operation the handle, in any steering position thereof, iinparts to the connector an initial endwise movement with varying'angular relation to'the handle,

and means effective after said initial movement whereby the handle imparts thereafter to' said connector a continued endwise movement-with i fixed'angular relation to the handle.

14. In a lifting truck, the combination of an elevating frame, a steering and lifting handle having spaced stop members, a link having one end pivotally secured to'said handle between said stop members whereby the extent of pivotal movement of said link in both directions with respect to said handle is limited, and means operatively connecting said elevating frame with theother end of said link.

ing means respectively, means on the main frame for limiting movement of-the link in one direction, and means on the steering handle for engaging and holding said link in position against said movement limiting means when the handle is in extreme upright position. 1

17. In a lifting truck, the combination of an' elevating frame, a steering and lifting handle, and a multi-portion connector pivoted to said handle in position to operatively engage said frame and forming in effect an extensionof said handle, means mounting saidconnector for movement in the same vertical plane with the handle in all effective steering positions thereof,- and means whereby during frame raising operation of the handle, a portion of said connector is in varying angular relation to the longitudinal axis of the handle, and means operable to maintain another portion in fixed angular relation thereto.

18. In a lifting truck, the combination of I an elevating frame, a steering and lifting handle, and a connector pivoted to said handle in position to operatively engage said frame and forming in effect an extension of said handle, said a connector being mounted for movement in the same vertical plane with the handle in all effective steering positions thereof, and means interposed between said handle and said connector to limit the extent of angular movement of the latter relatively to the'longitudinal axis of the handle during frame raising operation thereof.

19. In a lifting truck, the combination of an elevating frame, a steering and lifting handle, means of connection between said elevating frame and handle whereby downward movement of the handle is operable to lift said elevating frame, said means comprising a member mounted for vertical movement with said handle during the lifting movement thereof, means connecting said member with the elevating frame whereby to move said member angularly relatively to the handle during lifting operation, and means operable during a portion of the lifting movement to fixedly secure said member to the handle for direct movement therewith.

20. A lifting truck comprising in combination, a main frame, a steering and lifting handle pivotally mounted thereon, an elevating frame, means for connecting said handle and the elevating frame comprising a two part link, means of connection'between one of said parts and the steering handle to permit pivotal movement relative to the handle during the first part of the lifting operation and combined movement therewith during the latter part of the lifting operation, whereby the effective point of connection between the handle and the connecting means changes during the lifting operation, and lifting means associated with said elevating frame normally separable from and adapted to be directly connected with said two part link when said steering handle is in different steering positions.

21. A lifting truck comprising in combination, a main frame, a steering and lifting handle pivotally mounted thereon, an elevating frame, a lift member associated with said elevating frame, means rotatable with the handle in its steering movement for connecting said handle and the elevating frame lift member. in any steering position, said means comprising a link connected to the handle for pivotal movement relatively thereto during a part only of the lifting operation and a hook member pivoted to said link.

22. A lifting truck comprising, in combination, a main frame having aswivelled steering head, an elevating frame mounted on the main frame and movable upwardly relatively thereto, a vertically swinging steering and lifting handle, means of connection between said handle and the elevating frame comprisinga lifting member associated with said elevating frame and extending laterally a substantial distance, a hook member adapted for connection directly with said lifting member, a link pivoted to the lifting handle and itself having pivotally mounted thereon said hook member, and adapted to rotate on said handle pivot during the first portion of the lifting movement, and movable with the handle during the remainder of the lifting movement, said link and hook being rotatable with the handle and engageable with said laterally extending member for lifting operation in different steering positions of the handle.

23. A lifting truck comprising, in combination, a main frame having a swivelled steering head, an elevating frame mounted on the main frame and movable upwardly relatively thereto, a vertically swinging steering handle, an arcuate hook member operatively associated with the elevating frame, a link pivoted to the steering handle, a hook member pivoted to said link and engageable with. said arcuate hook member, means whereby said link is adapted to pivot relatively to said handle during a part only of the lifting movement, said link and its hook member being rotatable with said handle in its steering movement, and engageable with said arcuate hook member for lifting operation in different steer- 1m ing positions of the handle.

WILLIAM STUEBING, JR. 

